Things are never as bad or as good as they seem.
The brand is just a lagging indicator of a company's culture.
Zappos uses call center technology to track average call time per agent. But the goal isn't to reduce this average - it's more important that we make an emotional connection with the customer, rather than just quickly getting them off the phone.
Whatโs the best way to build a brand for the long term? In a word: culture.
If there are too many competitors, even if you're the best it's a lot harder to win.
Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you.